Steve x Katherine Story
by xxEMOxLIZZARDxx
Summary: I honestly don't have a title for this. Just putting this out for people who'd like to read it. I don't update regularly. Pretty much Tony finds Katherine after she ran off from home. Katherine has issues. Steve seems to be the only one who she trusts.
1. Chapter 1

Katherine ran off into the night, not even bothering to grab her phone or her bag. She just needed to escape the noise. It wasn't her fault, her parents had invited friends to a family party. The same group of people every year and the same thing would happen every year. She would somehow do something wrong and her mother who had drank just a little too much liquid courage would start yelling and screaming at her for ruining everything. Normally it waited until after the party, but this time, some late nighters decided to watch the last of whatever was on the television. Some movie possibly, she didn't really pay attention. She just knew it had loud noises and it wasn't helping her. Another explosion caused her to jump and drop a plate of food in the kitchen. Her mother came bounding in and started to yell at her. Forgetting that the door was left wide open and of course her father turned the volume down to make sure everything was alright. Allowing the guests to hear the drunken screams that she was horrible and had ruined everything. That no matter what, she always had to go and ruin everything because she always needed to be the center of everything.

Katherine tried to explain it was an accident, that the explosion from the movie scared her. It wasn't doing much good because her mother just told her to shut up and stop being such a baby. She tried to hold back the tears, but of course the tears just gave her mother more reasons to yell at her. She kept apologizing, that she'd clean it all up and to just please go back to the guests that were in the other room. Her mother wouldn't listen. So instead of trying to get her or anyone to stop it, she ran. Ignoring the screams of her mother telling her to get back inside this instant.

When she thought she was far enough away, she took a moment to catch her breath. She wasn't exactly in the greatest shape, but she could keep going when she freaked out. Looking around she realized she might actually be lost. The buildings looked different at night than they did in the daylight hours. Walking around she tried to find the tallest building, she knew how to get to a safe place from there. She could possibly hail a cab, but with how stressed she was, dealing with a stranger wasn't the best idea. Looking up at every block, she finally saw the tower. It's giant red lettering standing out against the light pollution. She set off towards it, knowing the tower was only a few miles or so away.

Arriving to the tower, she sat down for a little bit in a darkened corner. Her feet were starting to ache and she was getting a bit tired. She didn't know how far she had actually ran, but she knew she had to have run at least two or three miles or so before she started walking. Hiding away she watched the people of the city around her. They of course ignored her, they couldn't see her, and even if they did, she assumed they thought she was homeless. Not that she cared if it meant they left her alone.

Pulling her hoodie closer to her body, she pushed herself against the building more, trying to avoid the wind that was starting to chill her bones. She wasn't really dressed for outside activities. She had a thin Chicago Cubs hoodie, a t-shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans. Then again, running how many miles and being as out of shape as she was, her clothing was just wet from sweating as well. She tried to move closer to the building, near a door that was somewhat protected from the wind that was starting to pick up a bit. She hoped this wasn't a side exit, because currently she was pushed up against the door. Of course she failed to notice the camera watching her every move.

JARVIS mentioned something at the side exit, pulling up the screen, Tony noticed a person curled up by the door. Looking back a few hours he noticed her walking around, looking for a place to stop and he noticed she was trying to avoid people and like she was lost. She didn't have a phone or bag with her. She really wasn't dressed for the weather. She didn't even have any shoes on. Tony was sure her feet were a bit cut up, so she must have been in a hurry. He asked JARVIS help to keep an eye on her, he was going to see if he could speak with her in person. Walking away from his latest project, he went out to the back door. She wouldn't see him coming and he hoped she wouldn't run. He didn't hear JARVIS mention that her vitals were getting a bit low. Her core temperature was dropping and she seemed to have lost a bit of blood from her feet.

She was tired and cold. Her body was shivering and her feet wouldn't stop bleeding. She didn't realize she'd cut her feet up and now she had glass and metal sticking in her foot. Afraid to do anymore damage, she stopped pulling pieces out. She felt dizzy, she had a hard time keeping her eyes opened. She just decided to sleep, get some rest and in the morning she could figure out her next move. Plus it would give her body a chance to physically and mentally recover from the panic attack she had gotten from dealing with her mother yelling at her. As her eyes closed and blackness surrounded her, she thought she heard someone calling out to her, but she was already out.

Her body was so cold, it only took minutes to get to her, but she was so cold. Her heartbeat was faint, but still there. Her feet were worse than he thought, there was glass and metal still in her feet. A small pile lay where she had been. He lifted her easily, bringing her back to his lab and calling for some help. He laid her down, removing the hoodie and seeing her face for the first time, thought she was pretty. She wasn't thin, but he wouldn't say she was overweight. She had some meat on her. Her face was pale, but he wasn't sure if that was from what had happened or if she was always pale. As one of his friends came into the lab, he was snapped from his thinking. Getting to work removing her clothes and cleaning her up. Hoping he wasn't too late.

Hours later Katherine woke up, loving the soft warm bed she was in. Realizing she wasn't home and she wasn't in her own clothes, panic set in. jumping up and running to the door and finding it locked. It was dark in the room, city lights barely helping her. She could see the sky starting to brighten off in the distance, She tried to calm down, but she failed. Screaming and crying she ran to the window. Opening it and realizing just how high up she was. She fell back, screaming to be let go, that she wasn't worth anything. She was just an ugly girl who ran away from her drunk mother. The door opened and she hid, trying to avoid the fact that this person might kill her, or do something much worse.

Tony cringed, he heard her cries and saw her in the corner. Carefully he walked over to her, trying to calm her down. He told her he wasn't going to hurt her, that she was safe here. He wasn't going to kill her or harm her and he wouldn't send her back to her mother. He told her she had been asleep for almost twenty four hours and was recovering from trauma to her feet. She kept crying, her breathing shallow and erratic. He sat down a few feet from her, letting her see he meant no harm. Tony decided to open his arms to see if that would calm her down. What Tony wasn't expecting was this girl to crawl over and hold onto him for dear life. Crying and shaking, she kept saying she didn't want to go back. Tony wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back and telling her she wasn't going anywhere and he'd be the one to protect her. He didn't know how long he sat there holding her, but after awhile, he felt her breathing slow and realized she had fallen back asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Katherine woke up to sunlight hitting her face and one sore back. She realized she was wrapped in the arms of someone on the floor. She started to panic, trying to figure out how to escape from whoever was holding her. She wasn't expecting to hear a voice notify this guy she was awake and panicking and he should wake up before she hurts herself or before the others arrive to figure out why someone is screaming. This only freaked her out more, moving away, she sat up and moved towards the door. Just as she got up, a hand reached out and grabbed her arm. Causing her to scream and fall to the floor. She tried crawling away, but stopped when she heard multiple footsteps coming towards the room.

Tony was awake now, he felt her moved and went to grab her to keep her from hurting her feet anymore. He wasn't expecting a scream. He told JARVIS to keep everyone else away for now, he needed to calm her down, he needed her to relax, and if everyone came running into the room, it would get very tense, very scary, very quickly. Of course, Clint didn't hear the message until he was halfway down a vent. She looked over at the tall guy with an arrow pointed at her and she cried even harder, pulling herself into a ball while trying to back away from the man. Natasha came running in with her gun drawn, ready for whatever was about to happen and wasn't ready to see a young lady on the floor crying. Thor and Steve arrived at the same time, and both looked at the small crying ball of a person with confusion from the door.

Tony ordered everyone out. He yelled at Clint and Natasha for having weapons drawn. He ordered Bruce, who was waiting in the hall, to come in with the bandages for her feet. He went over to the girl, apologizing for the commotion and almost being killed. He spoke gently to her, telling her everything was alright. He opened his arms again and offered a hug, she looked at him, looked at Bruce, and looked at the others who had only moved to right outside the door and just sat there. Afraid to move. Afraid of being hurt. Tony moved so he was next to her, giving her a chance to be near the walls and hear him speak. He tried to touch her, calm her down, but she flinched. Tony tried speaking with her, telling her he wasn't going to hurt her. No one here would. He just wanted her to calm down, he told her Bruce was going to check her feet, that he wasn't going to hurt her either.

Bruce moved a little closer, but stopped when he noticed her shaking a little more. He realized she was getting a little claustrophobic, she needed space, but he knew she also needed some more medical attention. The bandages were starting to become red and he could see a few stains on the carpet. He also noticed she was still really pale. He wasn't sure the last time this girl had eaten, but he knew it had at least been thirty six hours since she had been brought in from outside. He tried sitting down, seeing if she'd fare better, he saw her breathing increase, he also saw her eyes dropping, her body was exhausting itself from the panic attack and possibly from not having any food or liquid in her system.

"Dog" she mumbled

"What?" Tony asked, leaning in closer to her

"Dog" she mumbled again

"Dog?" Tony asked

"Golden" she said

"Golden Dog?" Tony asked

She nodded. Tony ordered someone to go get a golden dog, whatever that was. Tony thought he heard Steve mention something about going to the shelter to get a puppy, Tony hoped the dog would at least be potty trained. He also hoped that this golden dog would help her. He could see her going downhill and if she wasn't calmed down soon, he was going to have to try and medicate her. He knew though that wasn't going to be easy with how she was afraid of everyone around her. Plus with how she was flinching away from himself and Bruce, trying to get her to take a pill or give her a shot seemed like an impossible and possibly even dangerous task.


	3. Chapter 3

Katherine was still shaking. She mentioned a dog, it was the only thing that would calm her down right now. Her brain was going so fast and focused that nothing was making sense. She was afraid this would happen. Too much noise, too many people, people she knew wouldn't hurt her, but she was afraid. She didn't want to flinch away from Tony, but her body reacted. She watched as Bruce sat down behind Tony, watching her, seeing how she was reacting. She felt horrible, he knew she was afraid of him. Hopefully she'd be able to apologize once she calmed down. She knew she was running low on energy, her eyelids were getting heavy and she was feeling lightheaded. She was going to pass out soon, she just hoped she'd wake up from this one.

"Tony, she's going to pass out, her breathing is still shallow and erratic and she's having a hard time keeping her eyes opened" Bruce said.

"Where's Steve with this golden dog? I thought he was just going across the street?" Tony replied, still sitting against the wall, moving a few inches closer.

"I'm right here and so is Rufus" Steve replied, carrying a small puppy.

"Miss, are you alright? I got you Rufus, the shelter said he was a Golden Retriever. They said he's really friendly and loves to cuddle" Steve said, kneeling right in front of her. The dog still in his arms.

They all watched as she reached her hand out to the small puppy, her fingers gently touching it's head and muzzle. They were impressed when JARVIS said her heart rate was slowing and her breathing seemed to be more normal. Steve handed her the dog and she cried. She was so happy. She felt calm, she felt normal, she even giggled when Rufus licked her face.

"Sir, I think the dog seemed to stop her attack. She seems to be calming down" JARVIS said, as the group saw her lay down, the dog curled up next to her. Her face buried in the puppies fur, her breathing becoming deeper and less erratic.

Tony sent everyone away. He moved so he would be sitting near her head, stroking the dog he was shocked the girl rested her head on his leg, her eyes closed, arms wrapped around the puppy.

"What's your name?" Tony asked

"K K Ka Katherine"

"Katherine, I'm Tony, this guy here is Bruce, he's going to just look at your feet quick" Tony said, pointing to Bruce, who gave a small wave.

"Katherine, is that alright? Can I just check your feet? I promise to be gentle about it" Bruce said.  
>Katherine curled herself up a little more not wanting anyone near her feet. They hurt and she could feel them bleeding.<p>

"Katherine, please? I promise, Tony will be right there and I won't move Rufus. You can stay right there, just let me see your feet" Bruce said, holding his hand towards her.

Slowly her legs uncurled and Bruce could see the damage. There were plenty of cuts and a few puncture wounds on her arches. There was a little pool of blood where her feet had been, most of the bandages had moved around, allowing the blood to just hit the carpet. Gently he moved one foot into his lap, watching her for any signs of stress. She laid perfectly still, her eyes watching his every move. He could feel how tense her body was, she was ready to curl back into a ball if anyone looked at her or breathed on her.

"Katherine, I'm going to use these to remove the bandages" he said, holding up a pair of scissors. She nodded as he made a move to cut the bandages.

She didn't mean to flinch, the scissors were cold. As her foot pulled away, the scissors cut into her skin, causing her to cry out, pull her feet back towards her body and some more bleeding.

"Katherine, I need to you calm down, I need to stop this bleeding" Bruce said, reaching for some towels, Katherine continued to shake, tears forming in her eyes.

"Katherine, sweetie, look at me, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise, I won't use any tools, I'll just use my hands. I just need you to trust me" Bruce said, pushing anything metal away from him. Looking at her, he glanced over to Tony, they shared a look of concern. She shouldn't be so freaked out. She wasn't just panicking over being in the tower, she was panicking because she hadn't known other humans to be kind to her.

Bruce watched her, she calmed down enough that he was able to finally pick up her foot and remove the bandages. He'd gently dab and apply pressure to slow the bleeding. As he cleaned up the one foot, he noticed the scars, dozens of them, most looked like old burn marks. Some looked like scratched and cuts. No wonder she was afraid, most things were used to hurt her. Once he was done with that foot, it was on to the other, and again, the scars were there. There were also scars from what looked like stitches, which meant someone else had seen these scars and that made him a bit angry.

"Katherine, I'm all finished, but I need you to stay off your feet for a few days. Can I carry you over to the bed? Or would you like to crawl over to the bed?" Bruce asked.

Katherine looked at him, looked at Tony and stayed still, "Here" she replied.

"You want to stay on the floor?" Bruce asked, confused

"Yes" she replied, stretching out a little on the floor.

"Alright, you can stay here. If you want to move or anything, I advise not walking as you'll just open up some of the wounds on your feet. Tony or I will be in often to check on you, is that alright?" Bruce said

"Tony" Katherine replied.

"Tony, I think that means you're stuck checking on her" Bruce said, getting up and walking out the door. Leaving Tony with Katherine and Rufus.

"So, Katherine, you go by anything other than Katherine?" Tony asked

"No"

"Do you want to go by anything else?"

"No"

"How old are you?"

"Twenty"

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No"

"Girlfriend?"

"No"

"Friends?"

"No"

"Family?" Tony felt her stiffen and that gave him the answer he already knew. "We won't make you go back. We won't tell them you're here. We won't tell anyone about you unless you tell us it's alright to do that. We want you to be happy and healthy. We want to see you smile and laugh."

"She'll find me. She always does. He doesn't care" she said, curling more into his lap, a sense of exhaustion and discouragement in her voice.

"Katherine, I promise, I'll make sure she never finds you. Now, get some sleep. You've been through a lot in the last day and a half and you need to rest" Tony said, moving his body so that he could lean more against the wall. He kept rubbing her back, feeling her breathing even out and asking JARVIS to ask someone to bring some blankets and some stuff for Rufus, who was still snuggled tight against the now sleeping girl.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony didn't mind this girl. He thought she was pretty, not that he would make a more on her. He wasn't sure about how mentally there she was, she kept giving one word answers, but that could have just been from her current state. She seemed nice, and she seemed to have some manners and a politeness to her voice. She was starting to trust at least himself and Bruce. He wasn't sure if she trusted Steve, although she might since he bought Rufus for her. Then again, she might only trust him since Bruce had cut her foot with the scissors and well, the other guys, he wasn't sure if she'd ever trust them.

"Sir, Steve is at the door, he has bought the blankets and pillows you requested. Along with some stuff for the puppy" JARVIS said.

"Send him in" Tony replied.

"Tony" Steve said, before being shushed by Tony. Looking over he saw the girl was sleeping. "She's asleep"

"Yea, she seems to be calming down. Thanks again for the puppy. I think it helped a lot. She hasn't let the puppy go and when Bruce was working on her feet, she kept petting him and running her fingers through his fur"

"Well, I'm glad it helped. I don't think I've ever seen someone so afraid of people"  
>"I don't think she's met anyone who cared about her. Bruce noticed a lot of scars on her feet and it seemed to move up her legs. We think someone was abusing her. He even thought he saw marks from stitches, which means someone else saw this and didn't do anything" Tony replied.<p>

"She was abused?" Steve asked, anger surged through his body hearing this.

"Yea, and some of it looks pretty recent." Tony said

"How long?" Steve asked

"Well, she said she was twenty, so I imagine most of her life. Steve, I don't think she picked the floor because she's comfortable, I don't think she's ever slept on a bed. I don't think she's ever had someone try and help her" Tony said

Steve sat down, he looked at this young woman and just wanted to help her. He wanted to tell the people who raised her they were monsters and didn't deserve her.

"Hey Steve, can you sit here a few moments, I need to use the bathroom and I don't want her alone." Tony asked.

"Um, sure, I don't see why not" Steve replied

"Katherine, I'm just going to use the bathroom. Steve is going to sit here with you while I'm gone. I'll be right back, I promise" Tony lifted her head and placed a rolled up blanket under her head.

Steve moved next to the sleeping girl, continuing to rub her back just as Tony did. Hoping she wouldn't wake up as he noticed her twitching and moving in her sleep.

"Shh, Katherine, don't worry. You're safe here. You don't need to panic. I'm right here to protect you" Steve whispered, surprised when he felt one of her hands grab his own. Not sure what else to do, he curled his fingers around her hand, a reassuring grip that seemed to calm her down.

Tony walked back into the room and looked at the two. Steve was sitting there with Katherine in his lap, the puppy curled up next to Steve. He was rubbing her back and gently speaking with her. Tony could hear a few things about the other Avenger's and about living in the tower with everyone. Steve was telling her everyone was worried about her, but they wanted to meet her and this time not scare her.

"She moved into my lap" Steve replied

"I figured you wouldn't move her" Tony replied, "I think she likes you"

"Really Tony?"

"What? She's in YOUR lap and YOU got her the dog and she's holding YOUR hand" Tony said, "I think that means she likes you"

"You were also hugging her when this all went down and she asked that you stay when Bruce was done" Steve replied

"She only knew my name, and well, she knew who Bruce was, but Bruce may have accidentally cut her foot with the scissors so that freaked her out"

"How?"

"Cold metal on sensitive skin. Poor Bruce, he looked like he was going to have a heart attack" Tony said, laughing at the events that had happened only hours ago.

"Should we try moving her to the bed?" Steve asked, trying to get comfortable against the wall.

"Maybe, although I wouldn't leave her alone, last time I did that she ended up being scared by everyone and causing more damage to her feet." Tony said

"Well, I wouldn't leave her alone. She's got Rufus as well" Steve pointed to the small bundle of fluff next to him.

"I guess try moving her to the bed and see how she reacts" Tony replied

Steve gently stood up, holding Katherine against him. He was amazed when she moved closer to his body, afraid to be away from him. Gently Steve placed her on the bed and then sat next to her, allowing her curl against his body once more. Steve had to admit, it was nice having someone in a bed next to him who wasn't in bed just to say they slept with Captain America. Tony picked up Rufus who gently whined when he wasn't on the floor anymore, but that quickly stopped when Rufus was placed on the bed, slowly crawling up to Katherine and falling back asleep.

"Well Steve, I think moving her to the bed worked. She doesn't seem freaked out and she's still curled up next to you" Tony said, "now we just have to see what happens when she wakes up"

"Well, I'll stay here till she wakes up. I'll let JARVIS know if she starts waking so you can come in"

"Sounds like a plan" Tony opened the door and was met with everyone standing outside the door. Trying to look like they hadn't been trying to listen to the conversation

"How is she?" Clint asked

"She's sleeping, curled up next to Steve. We got her onto the bed finally" Tony said

"Finally?" Clint asked

"Well, it's a long story and not a pretty one, but she had been curled up on the floor for three or four hours while Bruce was trying calm her down and fix her feet and she didn't want to be on the bed, she wanted to stay in the corner. But listen, I'll tell everyone in the living area, that way I don't have to tell the story five different times" Tony said, walking through the group.


	5. Chapter 5

"Why are Midgardian people so mean to their children?" Thor asked, after Tony had told them everything. It had taken a few hours, between Tony trying not to drink every time he spoke about her, to Clint wanting to find her parents and make them pay and having to be held back by Natasha, it was a tough conversation.

"Honestly Thor, no idea. Some people seem to be great parents and others, not so much" Tony said, he had told everyone what had happened and how Bruce had found signs of abuse. Clint just sat there, not sure what to think and Natasha was mumbling something about making these people pay for hurting this girl.

"It was only physical abuse right?" Clint asked

"Well, I imagine mental as well" Bruce replied

"You know what I mean" Clint said

"That I couldn't tell you. I'd have to do a full exam on her and I don't know if she'd ever allow that. Not after what I did to her" Bruce replied, still seeing the girls face after he had cut her. After he said he wasn't going to hurt her.

"It was an accident Bruce, you didn't know that was going to happen" Natasha said, "I'm sure she'll forgive you"

"I don't know, she was so afraid, she's so used to being hurt that she started crying and shaking, afraid I was going to hurt her even more. I feel horrible that the first thing I do to her is hurt her" Bruce replied.

"Is she going to be alright?" Thor asked

"Don't know. She's sleeping now, she seems to like Steve, but that could change once she wakes up. Sleeping she's fine, it's the waking up I'm more concerned about" Tony said.

"Sir, Steve has said Katherine is starting to wake up. He requests your presence in the room" JARVIS said

"Awesome, be right there" Tony said, "well, time to see how she's doing" Tony walked into the room to see the girl holding onto Steve and crying.

"She had a nightmare, she was moving around and I went to calm her down and she woke up. I told her she was safe and now this" Steve said

"Katherine, Katherine sweetie, it's alright, you're safe here. We aren't going to let anyone take you from us" Tony said, sitting on the edge of the bed, "look, even Rufus is worried about you" he pointed to Rufus who was slowly making his way towards Katherine. Steve and Tony watched as Katherine picked up the small puppy and held him close.

"Who named him Rufus?" Katherine asked, between hiccups.

"That's what the people at the shelter named him" Steve said, "I'm sure you could call him something else"

"No, I like Rufus for now. I've never had a pet so I don't know what names work for animals. Rufus seems like a good dog name anyways" she said.

"It's nice to see you talking" Tony said, "I wasn't sure if you actually spoke or not"

"I do" Katherine replied "just not very often"

"Would you like to meet everyone else?" Tony asked, watching as Katherine tensed against Steve.

"I guess I have no choice" Katherine responded, her voice much softer

"Katherine, we aren't going to force you to meet anyone until you're ready. Hell, you don't even have to meet them" Tony said, "we are going to move at your pace, we aren't going to rush you and we aren't going to force you to do anything you don't want to do"

"Honestly, I just want to sleep" Katherine replied, "and I would like some food if that's alright"

"You are more than welcomed to have some food. I imagine after everything you're pretty hungry and tired. Is there anything in particular you'd want for food?" Tony asked

"Not really. Something healthy I guess. I need to lose weight" Katherine said

"Well, let me go see what was for dinner and I'll bring you some food" Tony said, "is it alright if Steve comes with me so he can get some food? I promise to bring him back"

"Um, sure" Katherine replied, unwinding herself from Steve and curling into herself under the blankets.

"She doesn't need to lose weight" Steve said once he was out of the room.

"Yea, well, welcome to society saying she's fat and needs to be all bones to be pretty" Tony replied

"I don't think it's all her" Steve said

"You think her parents had something to do with her saying that?" Tony asked

"I think so" Steve said

"How could someone do this to an innocent child?" Thor asked as he saw Steve and Tony walk back into the living room.

"Her parents apparently" Clint muttered, sharpening some of his arrows.

"So I figure to help keep her calm, one at a time and I would advise not sitting right next to her" Tony said as he entered the kitchen

"Why don't either you or I sit with her?" Steve asked, "that way if she feels nervous, she has one of us to calm her down"

"Great idea, you can sit with her" Tony replied

"Why me?" Steve asked

"Because as I said earlier, she seems to like you" Tony replied, "now, I'll go make some food for each of you to take in, so sit tight"

Tony made up some spaghetti and then made a few bowls of sauce for Katherine to try. He handed everything to Steve and ushered Steve into the room Katherine was in.

"Katherine, it's Steve, I've got some food for you" Steve said, knocking on the door

"Come in" Katherine said, Steve thought it sounded odd

"Tony made some spaghetti and he put some different sauces out as well, in case you didn't like one or wanted it just plain" Steve said, sitting on the edge of the bed

"So this is what spaghetti looks like" Katherine said, picking up a few pieces with her fingers, "I've only ever see the red sauce on the plates and it taste pretty good"

"Well, would you like to try some of the white sauce?" Steve asked

"You have some first, I know you need to eat" Katherine replied

"Katherine, this is all for you. I am not going to touch any of your food" Steve replied

"This can't all be for me" Katherine said, "You have to eat it first"

"How about this, I'll take a bite and then you take a bite?" Steve asked

"You eat first though" Katherine said

"Sure" Steve replied, taking the fork and taking a small amount of spaghetti and wrapping it around the fork. He dipped it in the red sauce and took a bite, "your turn now"

Katherine picked up her fork and studied it, looking at how the fork broke into small stakes. Holding it in her fingers, she tried to stab at the spaghetti, but it was too thin and stayed on the plate, she tried a few more times, stabbing harder and harder each time.

"Katherine, let me help you" Steve said, gently taking her hand in his, he gently twirled the fork in her hand, grabbing a large circle of pasta, "would you like some sauce on it?"

"Red sauce please" Katherine replied, Steve helped guide her hand to the sauce, dipping it in enough to give it a light coating, maneuvering her fingers to hold the fork better, he helped her take her first real bite of spaghetti in her entire life. Steve watched as she chewed the spaghetti, letting the flavors mix on her tongue.

"How is it?" Steve asked, a bit of concern in his voice when she didn't answer.

Suddenly she broke into a giant smile.

"It's delicious!" Katherine replied, "now you take a bite"

Steve and Katherine continued taking turns on the spaghetti, Steve would take a small amount and watch as Katherine slowly would take big twirls and dip it between the red and white sauce. Once the spaghetti was done, Steve placed it on the nightstand. He had been able move closer to her and ended up sitting next to her, asking her a few questions about herself. He watched as she'd grab his hand and play with his fingers, bending them and spreading his fingers out and tracing around his hand. He found it relaxing and calming and it seemed to be a comfort thing for Katherine. She wouldn't speak much, but she seemed much calmer when she was distracted.


	6. Chapter 6

"Katherine" Tony said, knocking on the door, "may I come in?"

"Yes" Katherine replied, still preoccupied with Steves' hand

"So I don't know if you are still hungry, but I've got some food if you'd like more" Tony said, sitting next to Katherine

"I get more food?" Katherine asked, shock and disbelief in her voice

"Are you still hungry?" Tony replied

"I think so" Katherine replied

"Well, I've got a plate here of macaroni and cheese if you'd like to have it" Tony said, "Steve can stay next to you if you want, or I can send Steve away"

"Oh, um, it doesn't matter, whichever is easier" Katherine replied

"Katherine, I can stay, I don't mind sitting here and most likely there will be more food bought to you" Steve said

Tony watched as Katherine buried her head against Steve as he mentioned more food being brought to her. He couldn't tell if she was just nervous or if she was just afraid of seeing more food that she hadn't ever really had before.

"I'll stay with you, how about that? That way if you get nervous, you've got me here" Steve said again, Katherine nodded in agreement.

"Have you ever had this before?" Tony asked, placing the plate near her

"I don't think so" Katherine replied, "I've never seen the sauce before and not the smaller noodles"

"Well, you are missing out, it's delicious" Tony said, handing her a spoon.

"You eat first" Katherine replied

"I already ate. I don't need anymore food" Tony replied

"I can't eat it unless you do" Katherine replied, "it's rude"

"Tony, take a bite and then let her take a bite. That's what I did" Steve said

"Does that work for you?" Tony asked

"Yes, it works" Katherine replied

Tony and Katherine slowly made their way through the macaroni and cheese, Tony would show her some of the better parts like the melted burned cheese and some of the milky soup that was left. Katherine slowly chewed all her food, enjoying everything like she'd never eat it again. As the plate of macaroni and cheese disappeared, Tony watched as Katherine sank further and further into the bed, gently playing with the clothing she was wearing. Sometimes her hands would take his own and he could feel her bending his fingers, watching as they moved around. He could feel her fingers ghosting over all the cuts and scars on his hands form working and from battles fought. He looked over at Steve, who had been observing the entire thing, he gave Tony a gentle smile, a sign that she was content to do this and was calming herself down.

"Katherine, do you want to sleep or do you want more food?" Tony asked, watching as Katherine hid behind Steve, he heard a few mumbles.

"I think she wants something to drink" Steve replied, feeling Katherine nod against him.

"Alright, I'll go grab her a drink" Tony replied, "Katherine, is there anything you'd like? Water? Soda? Milk? Alcohol?"

"Water is fine" Katherine replied

"Alright" Tony said, he slowly got up from the bed and grabbed the empty plates that had held the spaghetti, sauces and macaroni and cheese.

Once Tony walked out the door, Katherine sat up, leaning against Steve, feeling his body move with his breathing. She went back to playing with his hands. Steve leaned back against the bed, letting Katherine rest against his chest, she continued to play with his hands, sometimes letting her fingers move towards his wrists and arms.

"Katherine, is there a reason you keep playing with my hands?" Steve asked, feeling her quickly stop and move away

"I'm sorry" Katherine replied

"You don't have to stop, it doesn't bother me. I just find it interesting, that's all" Steve said

"I don't know why I do it. I just know it calms me down and I feel like I have a memory of someone letting me do it to them. They'd rub my back and play with my hair and I'd fall asleep. But I don't know if it's a dream or not" Katherine said, "afterwards I always felt better and calmer. I think it was just a dream though because mother never touched me unless I made a mistake" her voice got quieter

"Hey, don't worry, we won't hurt you. We help people like you. No one should have to feel like you do. You should feel loved and cared about" Steve said, wrapping his arms around her, giving her a gentle hug, they stayed like that for a few minutes.

At least until there was another knock on the door as Bruce appeared.

"Steve, Tony handed me some water and soda and told me to come here" Bruce said, walking into the room, stopping when he saw Steve hugging Katherine.

"Bruce, come in. Tony I guess gave the drinks to you?" Steve replied

"Yea, he thought it would be better than food" Bruce said, "Hello there Katherine"

"Katherine, Bruce brought some drinks for you, do you want to try some?" Steve asked

"Yes please" Katherine replied, trying to scoot away from Bruce as he walked into the room more

"He won't hurt you Katherine, he's as harmless as they come" Steve said, "Bruce, give me your hand"

"Why?" Bruce asked

"Just, trust me, give me your hand" Steve said

Bruce let Steve take his hand, hoping this wasn't a prank, but he watched as Steve placed his hand under Katherines' hand. She slowly started to move her fingers against his hand, the longer she played with his hand, she seemed to move away from Steve. She moved to touch Bruces' other hand, almost comparing the two hands she was holding.

"See Katherine, he's harmless" Steve said, "she seems to like playing with hands, it calms her down"

"I'm noticing, she doesn't seem to be afraid anymore" Bruce replied

"Katherine, do you want to try soda?" Steve asked, looking at the two glasses Bruce had brought in

"Soda?" Katherine replied

"It's water that has bubbles and flavor added" Bruce said, picking up the glass, "here try a sip"

"No" Katherine replied

"Bruce, take a sip, let her go after you" Steve said, "Tony can explain later"

Bruce took a sip of the soda and handed the glass to Katherine. She sniffed the soda and flinched when some bubbles hit her nose. She took a small sip, keeping her mouth open as the bubbles fizzed and popped against her tongue.

"Do you like it?" Bruce asked

"It's weird" Katherine replied, "I'm not sure"

"Would you like some water?" Bruce asked

"Yes please" Katherine replied

Bruce took a sip of water and handed the glass to Katherine. She slowly sipped the water, finishing the glass and then looking afraid while Bruce watched her process drinking an entire glass of water.

"Katherine, don't worry, I don't want anymore water" Bruce replied, giving her hand a squeeze, "would you like some more water?"

"I can have more?" she asked

"Of course, you can have as much water as you want" Bruce replied, filling her glass again "would you like to try any other drink?"

"Water is fine" she replied between gulps, "so, you're a doctor?"

"Yes, I am" Bruce said, he started telling her about all the research he had been doing and how he had lived all over the world helping other people. He told her about how he had been asked to join everyone here and while at first he wasn't very into the idea, he's come to enjoy living here. He was so wrapped in telling Katherine everything that he didn't notice she had fallen asleep. It wasn't until Steve coughed that Bruce noticed the sleeping girl. She was curled up against Steve again.

"She's been out for maybe twenty minutes" Steve said

"I hope I wasn't boring her" Bruce replied

"She's been tired since I came in with food. It was only a matter of time before she fell asleep. She was already curling up against me when Tony was talking to her" he said

"Should I go tell the others she's asleep?" Bruce asked

"I would, although someone should come and take Rufus for a walk. I'd hate to ruin the bed or wake her up" Steve said

"Sounds like a wise idea. I'll take him out with me and when he's been walked I'll have someone bring him back" Bruce said

"Well, have a good night Bruce, I'm just going to stay here, don't want her having another panic attack" Steve said.

"Night Steve" Bruce said, walking out the door


	7. Chapter 7

Steve looked down at the sleeping girl, he moved some hair out of her face and studied her. She seemed so calm and peaceful at the moment. She seemed so sweet, and caring, but was so afraid. He wished he could find the people who did this to her. While it had been officially forty eight hours since she had been found near the tower, she was still afraid. He had no idea if anyone was looking for, but he knew he'd never let her go back. He wondered if they would even look for her or if they would just carry on their lives like she never existed. He would protect her. He would keep her safe from her family. He'd make sure she had a normal life. He'd try his hardest to make sure she could be herself without having to worry about being punished. Thinking about how to help Katherine, he slowly fell asleep, Katherine curled up against him.  
>Tony walked in with Rufus and stopped at the sight he saw. Steve and Katherine sound asleep, perfectly curled up against each other. Katherine looked so peaceful and even Steve seemed relaxed. Placing Rufus on the bed next to Katherine, he slowly stepped out of the room. Telling JARVIS to take a photo of the two to show everyone in the morning. He knew neither were thinking, but he liked seeing the two like that.<br>When morning came, everyone was sitting at the kitchen table quietly discussing what had happened the previous night. Everyone had stayed away from the room. Even Clint had stayed away from the vents leading to the room Katherine was staying in. Bruce was telling Thor he had to keep his voice down when he got a chance to meet her. He also told Clint no coming from the vents. He had to use the door. Tony mentioned to Natasha about maybe getting some new clothes for her since she couldn't walk and he didn't want her out in the city just yet.  
>Katherine woke up to the sound of a stomach growling. Realizing it wasn't hers, she opened her eyes and found herself curled up against a sleeping Steve. Softly she moved closer to his face and studied his face. Looking at how his hair fell and how he slightly snored when he breathed in. Gently she touched his forehead, letting her mind memorize how his skin felt and how his forehead led to his nose and how warm his cheeks were. She kept tracing her fingers over his face until his eyes suddenly opened.<br>Steve awoke to someone touching his face. He tried to keep his eyes closed as long as possible, but when he felt fingers touch his cheeks, he couldn't help but open his eyes. He found himself staring right at Katherine, who looked embarrassed and scared that she had been caught.  
>"I'm sorry" she said<br>"You don't have to be sorry" Steve said, "it wasn't annoying"  
>"I'm not suppose to touch people on their face" she said<br>"How come?" Steve asked  
>"It's too weird" she replied<br>"Well, I don't find it weird. It was comforting" Steve said  
>"You don't mind my weird habit of touching hands and faces?" she asked<br>"No, if it calms you down, I don't mind it. I don't mind a lot of things" he replied  
>"You shouldn't have to put up with me" she said<br>"Katherine, I don't mind you. You are really nice, a change of pace from everyone here" Steve said, "for once, I wasn't woken up by people arguing"  
>"I don't like when people yell" Katherine said<br>"I don't either" Steve said, "listen, I'm not trying to pry, but the touching? Why do you do it?  
>"It's a safety thing. I don't feel safe unless I'm able to touch someone. My parents never touched me in a loving way and never let me touch them. Their friends aren't into hugs or anything either so I couldn't really be safe around them. If they would put up with me playing with their hands and touching their hair, then I could in theory trust them" she said<br>"Katherine, how much do you trust me?" Steve asked  
>Before Katherine could answer, JARVIS chimed in saying that Thor was outside the door with some breakfast and also wanted to see the puppy. Steve allowed Thor to come in.<br>"Hey Thor" Steve said  
>"Good morning Sir Steve and good morning Lady Katherine" Thor said, "I bring breakfast to the two of you"<br>"Thank you Thor" Steve said  
>"Is that the puppy?" Thor asked, pointing to the small bundle of fur on the bed<br>"Yes, that is Rufus" Steve said  
>"May I pet him?" Thor asked<br>"I would ask Katherine first, it is her puppy" Steve said  
>"Lady Katherine, may I pet Rufus?" Thor asked<br>"Yes you may" Katherine replied quietly  
>Thor walked towards the bed, placing the plates of food on the table. He sat on the bed next to Rufus and slowly touched the soft golden fur. Steve grabbed a plate and placed it between himself and Katherine.<br>"Why, his fur is so soft and he is so tiny!" Thor boomed, "and look! He licked my hand!"  
>"Thor, indoor voice please" Steve said, noticing Katherine getting tense<br>"I apologize Lady Katherine" Thor said, "I did not mean to scare you"  
>"It's alright" Katherine replied, still a bit wary of the big man sitting near her<br>"Katherine, would you like some breakfast?" Steve asked  
>"Yes please" Katherine replied, still quiet and nervous<br>"May I stay?" Thor asked, still petting Rufus  
>Steve could see Katherine thinking, he knew she was still a bit nervous around Thor and his booming voice did nothing to help that. Steve gently picked up her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, assuring her that Thor was harmless.<br>"Katherine, you don't have to say yes" Steve said, "Thor is harmless, he's like Rufus, but bigger, and possibly not as hairy"  
>"Lady Katherine, I assure you, I would never harm you or any other female I met" Thor said, "they are treated with the utmost respect where I from"<br>"I don't know" Katherine replied, she turned toward Steve, "is he alright if I touched his hair?"  
>"Thor, may Katherine touch your hair?" Steve asked<br>"Why of course!" Thor said  
>Thor sat still as Katherine moved towards him, keeping a safe distance, she gently touched the ends of his hair. Slowly her hands moved towards the top of his head, letting her fingers touch his scalp, she traced along his hairline, stopping when he laughed.<br>"Lady Katherine, do not be afraid when I laugh. I've just never had someone want to touch my hair and it was quite relaxing" Thor said  
>"You can stay" Katherine replied<br>"Thank you Lady Katherine" Thor said  
>"Thor, if you could just take a bite of food, then Katherine will eat some. She won't eat until you do" Steve said<br>"No problem Sir Steve" Thor said, taking a bite of a Pop Tart that was on the plate  
>"What is that?" Katherine asked, pointing to the Pop Tart Thor was holding<br>"This is the most delicious food in the universe. It's a Pop Tart" Thor said  
>"May I try a bite?" Katherine asked, Steve watched as Thor was a bit reluctant to give up his Pop Tarts to anyone, but he relaxed as he saw Thor break off half his Pop Tart and hand it to Katherine.<br>"How do you like it Lady Katherine?" Thor asked  
>"It's really sweet" Katherine replied, "I'm not used to having sweet stuff"<br>"Well, I've got plenty stashed away. If you ever want to try a different flavor, I can give you one" Thor said  
>"Thank you" Katherine said<br>Thor and Katherine spoke for a bit, well, Thor spoke, Katherine mainly nodded her head or laughed at what Thor was saying. She was still keeping space between herself and Thor, as his voice was pretty loud and Katherine was still wary of him. Soon all the food was finished and Thor bid Katherine and Steve goodbye. He also gave Rufus another pat on the head and walked out the door with the empty tray. Katherine curled back up against Steve and gave a sigh of relief.  
>"I know, he can be a bit much at times. But he's really harmless" Steve said, rubbing her back, he stopped though when he felt her flinch, "are you alright?"<br>"My back is just sore" Katherine said, "I'm sorry"  
>"Katherine, there is no need to be sorry" Steve said, "would you like me to give your back a massage?"<br>"Oh, um, I'm not sure" Katherine said  
>"Katherine, I won't do anything you don't feel comfortable with" Steve said, "you can keep your shirt on as well"<br>"Maybe later" Katherine said, as she heard someone knock on the door  
>"Come in" Steve said, watching as Clint came in the room<br>"Hey Steve, Hi there" Clint said, sitting on the bed "I bring some more food and some juice


	8. Chapter 8

Katherine curled against Steve, her body shaking a bit, she remembered him from the other day, pointing an arrow at her face, glaring at her like she was a bad person. She was afraid he was going to hurt her again and she felt the tears wanting to break free. Steve realized she was panicking and tried to calm her down.

"Katherine, Katherine, it's okay, Clint won't hurt you. He won't touch you. He won't even sit on the bed" Steve said, giving Clint the hint he should move off the bed

"Is she alright?" Clint asked, moving off the bed.

"You pointed your weapon at her" Steve said, "how do you think she would take it?"

Clint paled when he realized he really had done that. He didn't mean it, it was just his reaction to coming out of the vents. He felt his chest tighten when he looked at the poor girl, she was curled against Steve, trying to hide herself. Steve was trying to calm her down, but she was crying now and now the dog was snuggled up next to her face, trying to figure out what was going one.

"I didn't mean to scare her" Clint said

"Well, you did" Steve said, "you might have even scared her more than Bruce because at least with Bruce, I got her to calm down"

"I'm sorry" Clint said, "I didn't mean to scare her, it's just a reaction"

"You shouldn't be saying it to me" Steve said, he moved a bit when he heard Katherine mumbling into his back. He turned and learned over towards her, "Katherine, are you okay?"

"My back really hurts" Katherine said, "it keeps trying to pull itself apart"

"Clint, go get Tony and Bruce, she needs help" Steve said, gently moving Katherine onto her stomach and placing his hands on her back. He could feel muscles spasming wildly.

"Steve, let me help, I've helped Natasha when her back hurts, I can help Katherine" Clint said

"I don't know" Steve said, he went to say more, but Katherine screamed in pain, her breathing getting ragged, he could hear JARVIS alerting Tony and Bruce to their problem.

"Please Steve, I can help her" Clint said

"Katherine, Clint is going to help you. He knows how to make your back not hurt anymore" Steve said, Katherine cried a little harder, "I will be right here, I won't leave your side. I promise to stay right here"

"Make. It. Stop. I. Can't. Breathe." Katherine said, her voice shaking. Steve could see her face getting a bit blue from not being able to breathe properly. Clint moved to her back, moving her shirt to see her skin. As he pulled the shirt up, she flinched at his movements and cried out in pain and shock.

"Clint, this isn't a good idea" Steve said,

Clint leaned over towards Katherine, "Katherine, please, calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. I know you're in pain and I can help make the pain go away" he went to go say more, but was silenced by her screams.

"What's going on?" Tony asked as he ran into the room

"Muscle spasms in her back" Steve said, "Clint was going to try and help, but she's already afraid of him from the other day and it's not helping"

"Bruce is coming with some stuff" Tony said, "Clint, I think you need to just leave. No offense, but she needs to calm down and having you here isn't helping"

"I can help her though" Clint said, with that he quickly pushed down on her back where the muscle was twitching and then quickly moved his hands back and fourth. They all heard the gasp as Katherine took a breath for the first time in a few minutes. She was still crying though and starting to shake.

"What did you do?" Steve asked, anger building in him

"I reset the muscle. It's something I learned awhile ago" Clint said, "I use it with Natasha all the time"

"She isn't Natasha. You could have seriously hurt her and now she's having another panic attack" Tony said, "she was already nervous when you came in, she didn't want to be near you and then you touch her"

"I helped her though" Clint said

"Clint, she's fragile, she's still recovering from her injuries from running and from living with her family. She isn't used to being touched and is used to touch being bad. It's a form of punishment for her" Steve said, holding her hand, "she needs to move at her own pace for a bit. She's been afraid since she got here and I'm pretty sure she was relaxing a bit"

"I'm not a doll!" Katherine screamed at the men, "I'm messed up, I know it. I don't like touch but I crave it. I don't know what Clint did, but it helped. My back still hurts, but I can breathe"

"I'm sorry Katherine" Steve said, "I didn't mean to imply anything"

"Please, everyone just go away. I just want to sleep and not deal with people. Every chance I wake up, someone else is here to see me, see how much of a freak I am. I get it. I really do. I just don't want to be stared at and treated differently. I just...I just...I don't know" Katherine said, pulling the blankets over her body and hiding away from everyone. They soon heard a few muffled sobs from under the blankets.  
>Tony and Bruce walked out of the room, Bruce left a few muscle relaxant pills in case her back started to act up again. Clint stood there for a few more minutes, trying to apologize for not only aiming his weapon at her, but for touching her without really asking. When he couldn't get a response, he walked out the door, ashamed of acting the way he did.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Back in the living room, everyone was yelling at everyone for what had just happened. Most of it was aimed at Clint since he had touched her without actually getting her permission and for scaring her the first time. He kept trying to apologize and it didn't seem to do him much good. Even Natasha was angry at him because she knew sometimes the moves he did on her back didn't work all the time and just caused more pain. He should have just waited for Tony and Bruce to come up with the muscle relaxer and pain killers. Eventually Clint just got up and left, heading off somewhere quiet and away from the others who were going to mad at him for hours if not days for this one. He wished he could actually apologize to Katherine for what he did, but he saw how afraid she was of him and she flinched even though she knew he was only trying to help.

"Do you think we rushed her?" Steve asked once Clint had disappeared.

"Maybe, I mean, someone has been near her for the past three days and she hasn't had time to just absorb everything" Tony replied, pouring himself a drink.

"Is she mad at us?" Thor asked

"I'm not sure, I'm wondering if she more mad and angry at herself for lashing out at us" Steve said, "she's been used to being on her own and being forced into things and I think it's just all too much at the moment for her"

"Am I the only one who saw how afraid she was when she was yelling at us?" Bruce asked

"No, I saw it too, which makes me think that this is new to her. Actually saying something to people. I've got a feeling if she did that with her parents, she got in trouble" Steve said

"Do you think we should just leave her for a bit? Let her process everything?" Natasha asked

"That might be a wise idea, let her just relax and if she wants one of us, I'm sure JARVIS can tell us" Tony said

"Sir, she seems to not know what to do when I speak to her" JARVIS replied, "I'm pretty sure my voice is enough to freak her out"

"Well, I'll figure something out, she has nothing to fear" Tony replied, walking to the elevator so he could figure something out in his lab.

"JARVIS, how about instead of asking her if she needs help, why not just notify one of us? That way she doesn't freak out hearing a phantom voice and well, if we send Steve in, we already know she likes him" Bruce said, "that way if there's a problem, someone can be there for her so if she wants help, she'll have it, otherwise we can just leave her alone"

"Well, who should JARVIS notify?" Natasha asked

"I say Steve, since she seems to be comfortable around him" Bruce replied, "you alright with this Steve?"

"Yea, I don't mind" Steve replied, "also, should someone take care of Rufus as well?"

"I know he went out a few hours ago and I fed him this morning" Bruce said

"Do you think he should go out again?" Natasha asked, "I'm not sure how often dogs have to go out"

"JARVIS, can you let us know if Rufus starts moving around more?" Steve asked, "I'd hate for him to pee on the bed or on the floor"

"I can keep an eye on that" JARVIS replied, "in the meantime, I'm noticing that Katherine seems to be having another panic attack"

"Thanks JARVIS, I'll go and check on her" Steve said, walking towards her room. Slowly opening the door he noticed that Katherine was tangled in the sheets and couldn't get herself out of them. "Katherine, Katherine are you alright?"

"Please get me out of here, she'll hurt me if she finds me in the bed again" Katherine said

"Who is going to hurt you?" Steve asked, confused as to who would hurt Katherine

"Please hurry, I need to get this bed made and get back to my room before she comes upstairs" Katherine replied

It took Steve a moment to realize she was having a bad dream and that she was afraid of her mother finding her and harming her. He quickly started to pull the sheets off her body, blushing when he realized her shirt had ridden up, revealing her stomach and very close to revealing her chest. As soon as the sheets were off her body, Katherine tried to move off the bed, trying to escape, but not before being grabbed by Steve who held her close.

"Katherine, it's just a dream, you aren't going to get in trouble" he whispered, rubbing her back and keeping her close to him, "just relax and breathe, it's all a dream, you're safe here"

He felt Katherine struggle against him, trying to escape, but knowing her injuries, he tried to keep her from running off. Finally after a few minutes he felt her calm down and wrap her arms around him.

"I'm sorry for yelling" Katherine said, once she had calmed down from the nightmare she had been dreaming.

"Please don't be sorry, we've been treating the physical injuries but not the mental ones. We should have been doing both" Steve said, laying down next to the crying girl, "for the record, you aren't a doll, you are so strong and even strong people break"

"I don't deserve any help. I bring it all upon myself" Katherine said, "I do everything for attention because I don't like not being the center of attention. That's what my mother always said"

"Your mother is wrong" Steve said, "by the way, how is your back after what Clint did?"

"It still hurts, but it doesn't feel like it's ripping apart" Katherine said

"Would you like me to give you a back rub?" Steve asked, "I promise I won't try anything funny and you don't have to say yes"

"I've never had my back rubbed before" Katherine said, "but it sounds nice"

"Well, why don't you lay on your stomach and I'll see if it helps a bit?" Steve asked, shocked when Katherine pulled her shirt off and laid on her stomach.

"I've seen movies where this happens and they never have a shirt on. They use some kind of liquid to help" Katherine said, "Is that alright?"

"Oh, um, yea, that's fine. I just don't have any liquid" Steve stammered out, he hadn't really seen a female without a shirt on and he was also looking at all the scars that riddled her back.

"Sir, there is some body lotion in the top drawer, it should work for massaging into her skin" JARVIS said.

"Thank you JARVIS" Steve said, reaching to the drawer and pulling out some vanilla scented lotion. It must have belonged to Pepper because he couldn't see Natasha using something so feminine. "Katherine, are you sure this is okay?"

"I won't know until I try" Katherine said, "I guess just do it and see"

Steve placed a sheet over her body, showing only her shoulders and upper back, he took some of the lotion and placed it in his hand, rubbing them together to warm the lotion up. Gently placing his hands on her shoulders, he felt her flinch before relaxing as he began to rub her shoulders. He could feel every scar that graced her shoulders and felt the knots and tightness she held from always being on edge. He asked her a few times if she was okay with this and she said she was fine. He was going to ask about the scars, but decided to wait another day.

Slowly he worked to where her back had been spasming, he worked carefully, afraid of hurting her or sending her into more spasms. As his fingers kneaded into her skin, he really felt her relax. Taking deep breaths and giving sighs of contentment. He looked at how strong her back was, how soft her skin felt under his fingers, how soft her hair was and how warm she was. He quickly shook those ideas out of his head. She was just escaping from abusive parents and was still having panic attacks when people came near her. She wasn't going to want a relationship now. All she wanted was a friend, or at least someplace safe where she could relax.

Katherine had never had someone rub her back before and she enjoyed how Steve was gentle yet still using a bit of pressure on her back and shoulders. She could feel all the years of stress and tension melting away. Taking a deep breath and sighing as she could feel her muscles relaxing. Sometimes she'd tense up when Steve touched an injury that had damaged the muscle and tendons in her back. She only hoped Steve didn't feel them. Steve was really nice she thought. He didn't give off the creepy vibes or the scary vibes of everyone else. Plus he was so old fashioned and modest. It was nice for a change. Not that he would even consider dating her, she was as damaged as they came and she was sure he was much older than her. Plus there was no telling if her parents would find her and drag her back home. Besides, she was sure with all the scars from her mother and from herself, no one would want to really touch her or see her naked.


	10. Chapter 10

As Steve finished up on her back, he noticed she had fallen asleep. Seeing as he didn't want to wake her up, he took the blankets and covered her up. Picking up Rufus, he quietly stepped outside to see what was going on with everyone else and give Rufus a quick walk and some food.

"How is...why do you smell like vanilla?" Tony asked, finally back from his lab.

"I offered her a back rub to help her back and JARVIS said there was some body lotion in a drawer" Steve replied

"I'm betting that's the closest you've come to touching a women in quite some time" Tony joked, "how did she do?"

"She's asleep right now" Steve said, ignoring the quip about being with a women, "I figured I'd take Rufus out for a walk and see what was going on with everyone"

"Well, at least she isn't crying or screaming" Tony said, "do you want lunch?"

"Is it lunchtime already?" Steve asked

"Well, it's close to 3pm, so technically past lunch, but I figure you should eat something and we'll see what she wants to do later" Tony said

"Tony, in order to do the massage, she took her shirt off" Steve said, grabbing Tony as he walked away

"I know, most women will" Tony replied

"There were more" Steve replied

"How bad?" Tony asked

"Pretty bad, I could feel most of them went pretty deep and anytime I moved over one, she would tense up before relaxing" Steve said, "I think along her shoulders and back there might be tissue damage"

"Is it all from her parents?" Tony asked

"I don't know" Steve replied

What do you mean you don't know!" Tony shouted, "either her parents did this all to her or someone else was also involved"

"I think some of the scars are self inflicted" Steve said, "along her sides there were scars that were back to front, like someone took a knife or razor and cut towards their stomach"

"She did some of those scars?" Clint asked, hearing the two argue  
>"Possibly" Steve replied<p>

"How old are the scars?" Clint asked

"Some look newer, some look older, hard to tell how long ago though" Steve said, "listen, I need to take Rufus out, let me do that and then I'll explain everything to everyone. She's going to need time and a lot of understanding.

Tony and Clint walked back towards the living room, alerting everyone to the update about Katherine. As they all waited for Steve to return with Rufus, they all went to check on Katherine. They found her curled up in the blankets, her shoulders exposed and they all saw the scars. Some were smooth and narrow, from what looked like a knife or a razor, others looked like burns that had healed, lumpy misshapen. All the scars stood out against her pale skin. Hearing her whimper and shift, they quickly left the room, calling for Steve and Rufus to return quickly before she panicked again.

"She's whimpering and moving around, you might want to be in there in case she wakes up" Tony said as Steve walked in the door. Rufus following behind him.

"You went in didn't you?" Steve asked

"Yea, we wanted to see how she was doing. We saw the scars, they look a lot worse than you described them" Clint said

"I didn't want you to go in there, I didn't want to tell you, but if the abuse is over her entire body, who knows what else was done to her" Steve said, "I didn't want her to feel judged for stuff she had no control over"

"You said she did some of the damage herself though" Thor said

"It might be self harm in some of it, but she still shouldn't be judged for it" Steve said, "as I told Tony and Clint, she will need time to heal and she will need understanding.

"Her heart rate has risen and she seems to be crying" JARVIS said, interrupting the heated discussion

"Thanks JARVIS, I'm going to her room now" Steve replied, picking up Rufus and walking into her room. He blushed and looked away when he realized she'd kicked the sheet off her and now her entire upper body was exposed. He quickly grabbed the sheet and covered her body. Sitting next to her he started to rub her back, telling her she was safe and that no one was going to hurt her. He carefully wrapped the sheet around her body and pulled her into his lap, hugging her and holding her hand, letting her fingers move between his.

It didn't take long for Katherine to calm down, as soon as she heard Steve's voice and felt him pull her into a hug, she calmed down. Something about how he smelled and how warm he was gave her comfort. He treated her like a human, while he was very much old fashioned, she liked that.

"Feeling better?" Steve asked

Katherine mumbled something that sounded like a 'yes', but all Steve knew was she nodded and her nose rubbed against his chest and he could feel the goosebumps on his skin. A small laugh escaped his lips, she really was adorable and when she wasn't freaking out or having nightmares, a completely different person.

"Ticklish?" She asked, moving her finger to where her nose had been, poking along his collarbone.

"A little" Steve replied, "more just thinking how much more relaxed you are now than even just a few hours ago"

"You're comforting and safe" Katherine replied, learning back into Steve

"I'm sure Tony would be heartbroken to hear that" Steve replied "he prides himself on at least being safe and I assume if a woman was upset, he'd be comforting as well"

"He also doesn't smell as good as you. He smells like he's been sterilized and tries to hide it" Katherine said

"Well I will tell him he smells funny, I'm sure he'll go crazy hearing that" Steve replied, smiling at her.

"No no no no please don't tell him! I don't want him to be mad. He's nice and kept scary guy from hurting me" Katherine said, panicking and tensing up.

"Alright, I won't tell him. I promise. Which scary guy tried to hurt you?" Steve asked, rubbing her back a little

"The one who fell and the one who fixed my back" Katherine replied

"Well I'm glad Tony protected you from the scary man" Steve said, knowing that the scary man was Clint. Clint was the only one who ever came from the ceiling vents and fixed her back. He was going to have to try to convince Katherine that Clint wasn't scary. Just...different.

"Why does the scary man hate me?" Katherine asked quietly

"I don't think he hates you Katherine" Steve said

"He was angry at me for screaming" Katherine said

"He's not like the rest of us. He isn't really a people person. Sometimes he doesn't know how to act around new people and sometimes he reacts without thinking" Steve said, "I also know his hearing isn't all that great so sometimes he just reacts with what he think he should do"

"He can't hear?" Katherine asked

"He can't hear very well. He can hear somethings, but sometimes he doesn't wear his hearing aids so then he really can't hear" Steve said, "he can read lips though and normally when he sees us react a certain way, he'll react the same because it's normally the right thing to do"

"Is he mad at me for screaming?" Katherine asked

"I think you scared him. I don't think he was expecting you to cry and try to hide" Steve said

"I'm sorry for scarring him. I didn't mean to scare him!" Katherine said

"Would you like me to have him come in again and you can see him?" Steve asked

"Will you stay with me?" Katherine asked

"Of course. I won't leave your side. I'll protect you if he scares you again" Steve replied, hugging her a little tighter

"Can he bring me food? I'm hungry" Katherine replied

"Of course. Is there anything you want?" Steve asked

"I want stuff I can pick up with my fingers" Katherine replied

"Alright, we can do that. JARVIS, please tell Clint that Katherine would like him to bring her some food she can pick up with her fingers" Steve said, "now, would you like to put a shirt on?"

"Oh, um, yea, I should" Katherine replied, looking around for where she had thrown her shirt.

"Clint has been told and he said he'd be in shortly" JARVIS replied

Clint walked towards the room Katherine was staying in. He was shocked when JARVIS told him she wanted him to bring her food. He just knew he had scared her and touched her without really getting her permission. Everyone was still a little mad at him, but at the same time, it seemed to help Katherine. He had some cheese, fruits, vegetables, crackers, candy and chicken nuggets with a bunch of sauces. Hopefully it would be enough for her to snack on. He had to admit, she seemed nice, but she was really skittish and scared. He heard how she kept her distance from Thor and even Bruce had a hard time getting her to accept him. Natasha had been the only one not to meet the girl. She hadn't really made an effort and no one was pushing her.


	11. Chapter 11

"Clint, we know you are standing outside the door, you can come in you know" Steve said, causing Clint to jump. He didn't realize he'd been standing there thinking.

As Clint entered the room for the third time in three days, he saw Katherine sitting next to Steve, keeping Steve between himself and her. Rufus was relaxing next to Steve, wagging his tail as he smelled the tray of food.

"Would you like the tray on the bed or on the table?" Clint asked

"Bed please" Katherine said, reaching over Steve and picking up Rufus. She kept him in her lap, petting his head.

"Katherine, would it be alright if I sat down on the bed?" Clint asked

"Yes" Katherine managed to stammer out, she was already getting a bit nervous.

"Katherine, just remember, Clint is just trying to help. He's just as nervous as you are right now" Steve said, wrapping his arm around her, "Clint, hand me the tray and then if you want to sit next to me, that should be alright"

"Katherine, these are all my favorite snacks. They are great for picking up with your fingers" Clint said, picking up a piece of cheese and holding it out to her. He watched as she studied him. Looking at his hand, looking at the piece of cheese he was holding, looking at how he looked at her.

Slowly her hand reached out and picked the cheese from his hand, she studied the cheese, sniffing it and taking a small bite before giving the rest to Rufus, "I don't like that cheese"

"Would you like a piece of fruit?" Steve asked, trying to hide the smile that graced his lips. She made the most adorable faces.

"What's this?" Katherine asked, picking up a piece of Star Fruit

"That's a Star Fruit" Steve said, "it's pretty good"

Katherine studied the fruit for a few minutes. Letting her fingers trace the outline of the fruit before taking a small bite. Deeming it edible, she slowly nibbled the rest of the fruit in her hand. This went on for a bit, she would pick up a piece of food, sometimes knowing what it was, sometimes asking. She seemed to like most of the fruits and vegetables. The chicken nuggets were gone before Steve or Clint could blink an eye. The only things Katherine didn't really eat were the cheeses and the crackers. She thought they tasted funny.

"Katherine, how is your back?" Clint asked, she had settled against Steve

"It doesn't hurt anymore" Katherine said, making sure to pronounce each word. Although it didn't help much. She still stuttered through the sentence.

"That's good to hear" Clint said, relief washing through his body "I'm really sorry I pointed my weapon at you and I'm sorry I touched you without really getting your permission"

"You're forgiven" Katherine said, reaching her hand out to grab his. She slowly let her fingers move around his hand, tracing outlines and bending joints. Letting her fingers trail over ever cut, scar and callous on his hands. She still stayed behind Steve, but at least she wasn't afraid of him anymore.

"Katherine, do you know Sign Language?" Clint asked, after feeling Katherine bend his fingers to spell 'strong hands'

Katherine nodded and mumbled something, but her fingers quickly spelled out 'yes' for Clint to see.

"Do you only know the alphabet?" Clint asked, watching as she spelled out 'yes' again.

"Katherine, when did you learn Sign Language?" Steve asked

"I've known it since I was little. I was sick a lot and it made my ears hurt so I couldn't hear as well so I'd sign things to mother. It was easier than trying to keep my voice down" she said, "I still sometimes just sign stuff when I don't feel like talking"

"I know Sign Language as well" Clint said, "I could always teach you more"

Steve watched as her face lit up. She'd never had someone teach her, she'd taught herself and had taught a few kinds younger than her, but to have someone to practice with would be amazing. Neither were expecting her to reach across and give Clint a hug. Clint was a bit nervous at first but once he realized she was grateful for a teacher, it relaxed him. It was good to see though. Steve hoped JARVIS had gotten a photo of it.

"Katherine, I'm sorry again I scared you" Clint said

"It's alright" Katherine replied, moving back towards Steve

Katherine went back to moving her fingers along Clint's hands, sometimes mumbling something to Steve and sometimes signing a few things to Clint. Clint was busy petting Rufus and getting to know the cute little bundle of fur that was currently trying to dig under his legs.

"Steve, I want to take a shower" Katherine said

"Oh, um, alright" Steve said, blushing

"How am I suppose to shower if I can't walk to the bathroom?" Katherine asked

"I'm sure we can carry you to the bathroom" Clint said, watching as Katherine hid behind Steve, guess she still wasn't ready to be that close to him, "or Steve can carry you"

"But I'm too heavy to carry" Katherine said

"Katherine, you aren't too heavy" Steve said, "trust me, I've picked up Thor and carried him and it was no problem. You will be a feather compared to Thor"

"Are you sure? I can always just crawl to the bathroom" Katherine said

"No, I'll carry you" Steve said, he moved from the bed and then quickly scoped Katherine up in his arms, "see, light as a feather"

Katherine squealed and curled into Steve, afraid to look down as he carried her to the bathroom. He placed her on the edge of the tub as he went to find some some towels and other shower things she would need.

"Um, Steve, can I get my feet wet?" Katherine asked, pointing to the stitches and bandages that were on her feet.

"I don't know, I'll go get Bruce and see what he says" Steve said, "will you be alright for a few minutes in here?"

"Yea, I'll be alright" Katherine said

As Steve walked out of the bathroom he noticed that Clint had left and took the tray with him. Rufus was on the bed, a little confused as to why no one was on the bed with him anymore. He whined when he saw Steve.

"Alright Rufus, you can come with me" Steve said, picking up the puppy and placing him on the ground. Walking towards the living room Steve went over to Bruce to ask about Katherine getting her feet wet. Hearing it would be best for her feet to stay dry until the stitches came out, Steve went back to the bathroom to tell Katherine the news.

"So how can I get clean if I can't get my feet wet?" Katherine asked, still sitting on the edge of the tub

"I'm not sure, I've never had stitches before so I don't know" Steve said

"She has to keep her feet out of the tub" Natasha said, appearing from no where and startling Katherine.

"How's she going to clean herself that way?" Steve asked, "she'd be reclined in the tub"

"Kick your legs over the side, pretty much go into the tub from how she's sitting, she'll be able to move to wash herself and keep the water from hitting her feet" Natasha said, sitting next to Katherine, "like this", Natasha lowered herself into the tub with her lower legs and feet over the edge. She could still move and wash herself, but her feet would stay away from the water.

Katherine copied what Natasha did and lowered herself into the tub. She tested out moving around a bit, seeing that she could wash her hair and wash her body, she soon realized a small problem, "um, how am I suppose to get out if my hands are wet and the tub is wet?"

"Well, someone will just have to help you up once all the water is drained" Steve said, looking at Natasha

"Katherine, would you like me to help you out of the tub when you're all finished?" Natasha asked

"I think I'll figure it out once I'm done" Katherine replied

"Alright, we'll give you some privacy, but if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask one of us for some help" Natasha said, ushering Steve out of the bathroom.


	12. Chapter 12

Katherine slowly got herself undressed and took and look at her body. She had still had a bunch of fresh bruises that were healing, along with a few new scars that were still healing up. She looked at her feet, gently touching where some of the stitches were. She'd never had stitches before and she was shocked at these. Most were tiny, one or two in a few spots on each foot, but they were scary looking. Not the neat looking lines she saw in movies and cartoons. There was also dried blood that surrounded the stitches and where all the other minor cuts and scrapes were. Turning the water on, she made it as hot as she physically could and sat back into the tub. Looking around she saw what seemed to be an attempt at making her comfortable. There were several different kinds of shampoo, conditioner and body washes. There were also a few different wash cloths, loofahs and other body scrubbing items. Sadly there wasn't a comb nearby so she was going to have to really make sure to get most of the knots out of her hair with her fingers before getting out of the tub.

She thought about how much this had to have cost. Most of the products were stuff she only ever saw in magazines and in commercials. She only ever had the scraps of soap that her mother couldn't use. Of course, it could have all been the good stuff, but after a few months or so, it got pretty disgusting looking. It also all smelled the same and it wasn't very pleasant to smell several different types of soaps all at once. The only thing they didn't leave her was something to shave her legs with. Oh well, she'd just have to ask for a razor at some point and then just break it apart like she did at home sometimes.

Slowly she started to wash her hair, letting all the grime and grease from the past few days swirl in the water around her. Once her hair was all washed, she let the water out of the tub and started working on conditioning her hair. Keeping the tub drained, she rinsed the conditioner out and gathered all the loose hair that was tangled around her fingers and placed it on the ledge of the tub. Filling the tub back up, she went to work scrubbing her skin. Using the loofahs and something like a nail scrubber, she scrubbed her skin until it was pink. Finding that some of the newer scars were still able to bleed, she put a little more force scrubbing there. Letting the blood create patterns on her skin to help relax her. Once she had scrubbed her body, she used one of the body washes and gently worked on just cleaning her body. She ever used a soft washcloth to clean her feet a little. Making sure to not get any water near the stitches. Draining the tub once more, she made sure all the dirt soap water was off her skin before trying to figure out how she was getting out of the tub. Seeing a towel, she slowly inched over and grabbed it, allowing her to dry her hands and dry off the ledge where she could push herself back up onto the ledge. Wrapping the towel around her, she realized she had no clean clothes or clothes in general to wear.

"Miss Katherine, Natasha is standing outside with some clothing, would you like her to come in?" Katherine heard above her

"Yes please" Katherine replied, hugging the towel just a little bit closer and tighter to her body

"Tony had me go out while you were sleeping earlier and pick up some clothing for you. I hope you don't mind it" Natasha said, carrying in a few different bags from several different retailers.

"Oh, um, thank you. I've never really had clothing from any of these places" Katherine replied, looking at some of the bags, "although I do like stuff from Hot Topic"

"Well, you can pick what you want, if you need anything else, let me know and I can always go and spend more money" Natasha replied, walking back out into the room, "it's something I don't get to do often"

Katherine sat on the tub for a bit, going through the different bags. She soon found most of the clothing wasn't her type, but luckily the bag from Hot Topic had some pants and shirts she could sleep in. The shirt was a bit tight, showing her just how much weight she had gained and it was a tank top, which showed off most of the scars on her arms and shoulders. The pants were nice and baggy though and covered her legs and feet which was a relief. Both were covered in different colored skulls going from black, to blue, to purple and a few hints of white.

Once she made sure she was dry and her hair was fairly detangled and not dripping wet, she moved herself to the floor and started to crawl towards the door. Slowly opening it, she found the room empty and began the cautious journey back to the bed. She made it about halfway when Steve returned with Rufus, who came running over to her and started licking her face. Excited to have a playmate on the floor that seemed to be his height, if not a little taller.


	13. Chapter 13

"You could have asked JARVIS to get one of us" Steve said, swiftly picking Katherine up and carrying her to the bed.

"I figured you were all busy and I can still crawl. I'm not that injured" Katherine replied

"We aren't busy, just trying to give you some space" Steve said

"I'm surprised with how long I was in the bathroom no one checked on me" Katherine said

"Honestly, I've heard Tony takes even longer showers" Steve said

"I was in the bathroom for an hour and a half, HOW can someone take longer?" Katherine asked

"You don't want to know" Steve said

"I think you're right, although now I can't get it out of my head" Katherine grimaced as the thought of Tony in the shower for that long led to only one thing.

"You're the one who asked" Steve said, "also, I like the pants, they look really nice on you"

"Oh, um, thanks I guess" Katherine said, "I know they're really soft"

"That's good" Steve said, "um, Katherine, may I ask you a question?"

"I think I know which question and I guess I'm going to have to answer it sooner or later" Katherine said, "yes, some of the scars I inflicted on myself. Some of the burns I inflicted on myself, some of the scars and burns are from my parents. Most of them do hurt and some of them did cause injury that isn't just scarring"

"Why?" Steve asked

"I hate myself, I hate that I'm short, I hate that I'm fat, I hate that my parents treat me horribly, I hate that I do it, but I can't stop, I can't feel anything most of the time, doing it made me feel like I was human" Katherine said, tears forming and her voice cracking, "but then the scars make me hate myself and I carve into myself because I hate myself, it just never ends"

"How long has this been going on?" Steve asked

"A long time. Longer than I'd like and longer than it should be. No one seems to question the scars. After awhile, they just believe I'm a klutz. I mean, I made it believable. Once in Chemistry I managed to burn myself on the bunsen burner. They all thought it was a mistake" Katherine said, "finally after the third time of burning myself or so I got told I wasn't doing labs anymore"

"No one questioned you doing this?" Steve asked

"They asked me if I was alright, I had people pulling me aside, but I just lied. They saw me always falling and tripping and I always told them I was just a klutz. Went with the whole 'I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached' spiel and it worked." Katherine replied, "I wasn't very high on their radar most of the time so I just skirted by. Besides, if they knew what was really going on, they obviously didn't care enough to really try and help me."

Steve let his hand wander along her hands and arms, letting his fingers engrave every scar into his memory. He felt how some of the scars were smooth and others left jagged ridges and craters in her skin. He felt how some sections under her skin were bumpy and jagged. He looked at how some were still bright pink and red, some still had blood oozing from them. He saw the older ones were almost white in areas and others were just dark lines that looked like dirt. He couldn't image the pain it caused or what kind of pain she was in. The idea that someone could do this to their body was shocking to him. He wished he could remove all traces of the scars and the memories that came with those scars and caused them to happen in the first place.

"They never will fully fade" Katherine replied, her voice quiet.

"Do you want them to fade?" Steve asked

"Sometimes I do, and other times, I don't. It just depends on my mood. If I'm happy, I don't normally notice them so I don't care. Most days though, I'll see them and wish I hadn't been so stupid and weak. Sometimes they trigger me to want to add to the collection" Katherine replied, "the ones on my wrist are the worst. They almost always seem to beg for more company"

Steve gently lifted her arm and looked at her wrist. He could see the small gathering of neat white lines that created a contrast to her already pale skin. Letting his thumb run over the scars, he could feel some of the raised scars. He could feel her pulse racing under his thumb and gently, as if he would break her, he gently placed a kiss over her scars. Feeling her body tense, he looked up to see her crying, "I'm sorry Katherine"

"Please, don't be sorry" Katherine replied, "you're the only one who knows what I've done in detail and you haven't rejected me like everyone else has. Most people see the scars and shun me. I'm a leper almost"

"You aren't a leper" Steve replied

"No, I'm worse. I'm just a reject" Katherine said

"Katherine, you were abused, not rejected" Steve said

"It feels the same to me" Katherine said, "people see the scars and they run. They hear my voice and they run. The few friends I had left me because I was too much work for them to deal with. I've gotten used to being on my own because my parents pounded it into my head that I was never good enough for anyone. My parents think I'm a joke to begin with. I'm never what they wanted. They wanted someone perfect and they got me instead"

"Katherine" Steve said

"Please, just go, I'm just going to disappoint you" Katherine replied

"You won't" Steve replied

"Trust me, it always happens. No one gets mad or sad, they just are disappointed in me" Katherine said

"I promise I won't" Steve said

Katherine rolled over, curling herself into a ball she let the tears fall freely. She knew Steve was still next to her and when he laid down behind her and wrapped his arms around her, she cried even harder. He was being so nice to her, he was trying to help and she just wanted him gone. She wanted to just be alone because then if she got upset and hurt herself, she could just blame herself. She wouldn't have to think about how disappointed Steve or any of them would be. "Please, Steve, I'm begging you to just leave. I'm honestly better off alone. I know you think you can fix me, make me better, but it's not possible. So many people have tried and all have failed"

"I'll leave for now, but I'm not going to fix you, I'm not going to try and make you better. I'm just going to be a friend for you. I'm going to help you and be there for you when you need it" Steve said, giving her a hug and heading back out into the living area, "JARVIS, did you happen to record the conversation Katherine and I just had?"

"Yes Sir, I did" JARVIS replied

"Good. I'm going to need that for everyone to see. I think they need to hear what Katherine has to say about herself" Steve said, hoping that the others would be as understanding as he was.


End file.
